Of Sight and Sound
by Serenity2893
Summary: You could not see what is important and you could not hear what is precious. Perseus Jackson, blinded by your love and deafened by loyalty. Remember, the owl with clipped wings cannot fly and the horse with a broken leg cannot run. There is no escape for you now. Percy/Annabeth, Arachne POV


**A/N: After the ending of Mark of Athena killed my Percabeth feels, I had to write this.**

* * *

You_ thought you had defeated me, and so you grew careless._

* * *

You picked up the girl (_That accursed child of wisdom, that trickster, that brat)_ and cradled her in your arms like she was a princess. You touched her face with tentative fingers and gazed into her eyes with a pain I had yet to know. You tucked a stray lock of blond hair behind her ear and smiled down at her.

_(And you were careless, son of the sea god, oh so very careless.)_

Through the force of whatever emotion you were feeling, you failed to notice what had been down.

_(Spider silk, as delicate as a feather and as invincible as a rock, you did not see it, spawn of the sea, you did not see it.)_

At that moment, I, trapped in a prison of my own making, could not suppress a wild burst of laughter as you carried on walking, completely oblivious to your impending doom.

_(Wrapped around the leg of the one you love, my inadvertent avenger, my trump card, my final move in the game, how could you not see it?)_

And I did not have to watch in order to know. I felt the strings around me tighten, and I _knew. _

_(So did you.)_

_(You saw it.)_

_(But you saw it, far, far, far too late.)_

_(You were careless.)_

* * *

_No escape, I go to Tartarus, and you will come too._

* * *

I whispered the words in her mind, and you could not hear, you could not hear the wicked glee in my voice, the moment of triumph and glory I reveled in.

_(You could hear the crashing of waves and the foam of the sea, but you could not hear me. What a shame.)_

Your eyes were wild, frantically moving up and down, between the safety of the ledge and the realm of the demons.

_(You could have saved yourself, you could have let of her hand, but no, you did not, because you did not hear it. You were deaf to the chanting of the demons and the cold murmurs from shadows that lurk in the corners. You did not hear my voice, nor did you hear her.)_

She pleaded with you desperately, did you not notice? Of course not. You did not hear the sob in her throat as she _begged_ you to let her go.

_(Perhaps the mangled, ruined form of Athena, torn in between the two rival factions, appeared in your mind? Could you hear her, telling you that if dared to allow her precious child to die, you would be blown to ashes? Or maybe it was simply your fatal flaw? Your undying faith in your friends?)_

You spoke over her pleading, blind to her desperation and deaf to her cries. Your face hardened into one of determination, and I knew what you planned to do from the moment you looked up and called to that pale, scrawny, spawn of Hades friend of yours.

_(And he heard. He did not want to, but he heard. He heard and understood.)_

_(You are the only one here that did not understand.)_

_(You did not understand because you did not hear.)_

* * *

_Sacrifices. Beautiful sacrifices to wake the goddess._

* * *

I chuckled at your actions, chiding them with a manic glee.

_(Perhaps you could not see the amused glint in my eyes.)_

_(Perhaps you could not hear my laughter.)_

You spoke meaningless words, ones that you understood, and ones that you heard, because they were your own.

"We're staying together. You're not getting away from me. Never again."

_(You promised that, son of the sea god, but you and I both know that promises are easy to make and hard to keep.)_

_(What could you possibly promise to her in the depths of the unknown?)_

_(Nothing, Nothing at all.)_

_(You are a brave one, Percy Jackson. The goddess will be pleased.)_

And Annabeth looked up at you, and she saw, she heard, what you meant.

"As long as we're together."

_(As long as you're together, indeed. Yes. You have lived together and you will die together. Your deaths will contribute greatly to our cause.)_

_(But you won't mind, will you, Perseus Jackson? After all, you will be together.)_

_(And that is all that will matter.)_

* * *

_A one-way trip. A very hard fall._

* * *

You let go of the ledge. A very stupid and foolish thing to do, if one were to ask me.

But I do not mind.

I have my victory, I have my prize.

_(And your hands are locked within hers, never daring to release the pressure for even an instant, as if you might lose each other.)_

_(And you will.)_

It is a long way to Tartarus, and I hope you are prepared.

_(The insanity will claim you, just like it has begun to claim me, and shadows will crawl to your mind, possessing it with wild, demented thoughts. You will burn in the depths of this realm, and you will find no escape.)_

_(As long as you're together. That is a mockery. What good will the two of you be against legions of monsters?)_

_(Nothing.)_

_(The goddess will be happy with me. Even if I am to die from this, I do not mind.)_

_(I have what I want.)_

_(Do you?)_

Perhaps you do.

Perhaps the thing you want is with you at this very moment, her hands in yours and her blond wisps of hair tickling your face.

_(Perhaps.)_

* * *

_Sight and sound are the senses you should value the most. What will you do when they are gone?_

* * *

Whatever sunlight that had managed to leak through the hole that connects this darkness to the world of living is now gone.

_(Do you feel it now? The despair?)_

_(I hope you do.)_

You will need to be able to see in Tartarus, Percy Jackson. Most people cannot penetrate throughout the darkness.

_(But you are not most people.)_

_(You require the darkness to see.)_

You will need to hear. The growling of demons and the whispers of shadows will grow ever louder with each passing day.

_(But you can hear it.)_

_(I know that you can.)_

* * *

_Blinded by love and deafened by loyalty._

* * *

You could not see what was important.

_(But now you can see, can you not? It must be all very clear to you._)

You could not hear what was precious.

_(Do you wish to hear these things? This evil, sinister blathering that slowly chips away at your mind?)_

_(I would think not.)_

But there is no choice in this matter, none at all.

* * *

_We are going to play a game now, Perseus Jackson._

_We will see who it is that succumbs to the pull of evil first._

_I am an immortal, cursed to existence as a monstrous spider._

_I have all the time in the world and all the patience I need._

_You, however, are human._

_Who will win? Who will lose?_

* * *

_No matter the outcome, one thing remains true._

* * *

There is no turning back.

For any of us.


End file.
